Diplomatic Relations
by YappiChick
Summary: Teyla is tired of the way John tried to create alliances..especially with worlds with beautiful woman.  Slight SHELYA.


Title: Diplomatic Relations  
Author: YappiChick  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: Takes place between "The Tower" and "The Long Goodbye"  
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine…never will be.  
Feedback: It's like candy to the fic writer's tummy:D  
Author's Notes: This is in response to the Beya prompt battle challenge. The prompt was "you got all eyes on you no matter where you are"…I added a couple of words, but it's definitely in there.

To say the debriefing was uncomfortable was an understatement; John could practically feel the tension coming from Teyla. He was pretty sure he could sense her discomfort after he told everyone about Mara coming on to him.

He didn't want there to be any problems between he and any members of his team, so he followed her until they reached an empty corridor. "Teyla, is there something wrong?"

He saw her take a deep breath. No, he thought, she wasn't uncomfortable; she was angry.

"Should there be anything wrong, Colonel?" she asked.

He took a step towards her. "I don't know. You seem pretty pissed off to me."

Her eyebrow rose. "Perhaps it is because I do not find your methods of 'creating alliances' to be honorable," she answered.

Fire flashed in his eyes. How dare she judge him? "What the hell are you talking about? She came on to me!"

"Did you deflect her advances?"

Silence was his answer.

"You will find, Colonel, that some people will use their bodies in the best interest of their people. I would think that by now you would have learned that," she said coldly.

Stunned, he looked at her for a few seconds. Had there really been that many women who had come on to him? Well, he had to admit, the list was longer than the women that flirted with him on Earth. "If this bothered you so much, why didn't you say anything before?"

"You have got all eyes on you no matter where you are when we are off-world," she said, lowering her voice. "I do not feel that it is appropriate to voice my concerns about how you approach our potential new allies in front others." She began walking away.

He stepped in front of her. There was no way he was going to let the conversation end like that. "Then why don't you talk to me after the mission?" he asked.

"Because, by then, I would rather forget the past and focus on what lies ahead," she answered.

Realization suddenly flooded his mind. "You're jealous!"

Instead of immediately denying it, she thought about his accusation for a few seconds. "Tell me, Colonel, if I had not been open to your kindness when we first met, how far would have gone to secure an alliance with my people?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

His breathing quickened. He didn't know how exactly the conversation turned this way and part of him was definitely enjoying this. Maybe he should get Teyla mad more often.

There was barely two inches between the two of them. "Would you have flirted with me, John?" she questioned. Stepping on her tiptoes, she spoke softly into his ears. "Would you have gone further?"

Alarms were going off in his head. There had been an occasion or twelve when he pictured Teyla whispering delicious things in his ears, but this was nothing like any scenario he imagined. He needed to get the conversation back on track.

He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look in his eyes. "Teyla, I would never do anything like that to you."

For a second, he could have sworn there was a flicker of hurt that passed over her face. When he looked again, there was no sign of anguish. "I see," she said evenly, trying to remove herself from his grip.

Suddenly, he realized how that sounded, as if he wasn't attracted to her. No, that wasn't what he meant at all. "I didn't say that right. What I meant to say was…"

A million thoughts bombarded his mind.

Teyla, I care for you more than you know.

Teyla, you are my family.

Teyla, I love you.

What came out was an awkward, "you are an irreplaceable part of my team. I…don't want to lose you just because my ego enjoys being stroked every once in a while."

She searched his eyes for a moment. He figured she saw what she needed to because her body relaxed. "I am not going anywhere, Colonel."

A smile passed over his lips. "That's good. Listen," he said, letting her go, "If I do something that offends you, tell me."

Nodding, she answered, "I will." She turned and walked away.

Things still didn't feel right. "Hey, you wanna go to the mess hall and pick up some lunch?" he called to her.

He could have sworn there was a small smile on her face. "I assure you, John, the alliance between our two people is fine."

"Yeah," he said, approaching her side, "but it can't hurt to try to improve diplomatic relations."


End file.
